A Drop in the Ocean
by SpringHiller09
Summary: Bella is recently divorced with a 9 year old son. Edward is a widow who lost his wife in childbirth, and was left to care for their daughter. The two of them meet and fall in love. But, so much baggage proves to be a problem for both.
1. Bad Before the Worse

**Chapter One: Bad Before the Worse**

* * *

**Bella's POV**

"After careful reviews and many days of court, I have decided to grant joint custody to the both of you." The judge told us, and I sighed in disappointment. Jacob wasn't a father to Brady, he was only a friend. He wasn't ready to take on the resposibility of taking care of him...really taking care of him. I glanced over at him, and rolled my eyes at the cheesy grin on his face.

Jacob and I met when we were eighteen, freshman at Seattle University. We had an instant connection and grew serious fast. However, it was too soon too fast and within a year of dating, I'd become pregnant with our son. It took a long time to come to the decision to keep him and raise him ourselves, and even then I wasn't sure if we'd made the right choice. But, when I looked at my son for the first time, I knew we'd chosen right.

Brady Patrick was my entire life and he had been for the last nine years. I changed nearly every diaper, soothed every fever, and packed every lunch. Jacob, however, earned his first laugh, took him for his first ice creme, and was always there to cheer him after after I'd punished him. We made a good parenting team, but together as a married couple...not so much.

Jacob and I married a year after I had Brady. He proposed to me once we decided to keep him, but I declined...we needed more of a reason. But after raising our son together, we thought we'd grown closer together. We married six months after he proposed and were living happily together in our small, Seattle apartment. However, Jacob and I just weren't meant to be.

As Brady grew up and it didn't take as much of an effort to raise him, our relationship began to slip away. He was always there for his son, but that wasn't enough to keep us together as a couple. And, a year ago...we decided it was time to stop kidding ourselves and just move on with our lives. I still loved him, he was my sons father and the first man I ever loved...we just weren't...in love anymore.

"Court dismissed." The judge said, slamming her gavel and standing to leave. I talked to my lawyer some more, and then decided it was time to face the music. I walked outside of the courthouse and found Jacob sitting on the steps, two coffees in his hands. I sat down next to him, and he handed me one of the cups.

"So," He said awkwardly. "How do we do this?"

"I don't want to take him out of school." I told him firmly.

"Me either." He whispered. "You keep the house."

"Jacob..."

"No, that's his home." He protested. "I'll get an apartment in the school district. He can...come over after school or something."

"Well, we have to wait for the judge to get a real agreement, but if you stay in the district...how about...you take him every other week."

"Really?" He asked. "I thought I wasn't ready to be a father?"

"You aren't." I told him. "But, he is your son."

"You weren't saying that when you filed for full custody."

"Can you really blame me, Jacob?" I asked. "He does something he isn't supposed to...and you laugh at it. You've never once yelled at him."

"I have!"

"Really?" I asked. "When?"

"The other day." He tried to tell him.

"Telling him not to run in the house is not disciplining him, Jacob." I argued. "You have to learn to be his father, not just his pal."

"But, you've got the whole...bad cop part down."

"Yeah, and now I have to be both too." I reminded him. "We're still a team, Jacob. Just...not a married couple."

"I never asked for this divorce, Bella!" He shouted as he stood and began pacing around. "You...you did this to us! Why should I suffer the consequences!"

"We aren't suffering, Jacob." I told him calmly. "We aren't good together and you know that. But, regardless of us...we have to keep it together for Brady." Brady was the first person we told about the divorce, and he'd been angry ever since. He put on a good face, and was doing pretty well, but I knew how upset he really was. Especially since a year ago his best friends parents divorced and Jacob and I said that would never happen to us.

"I should go." I said as looked at my phone. "Brady's with my mom. I'll have him cal you tonight."

"Why can't I just come over?" He wined. He'd been living with his best friend, Seth for the last few months, and hadn't been to our house in a while.

"Because knowing my mother she didn't make him do any of his homework."

"So?"

"So, you'll be there and distract him." I sighed. "That's the reason I always made sure his homework was done before you got home from work."

"So, when can I come see my son, Bella?" He asked, his voice getting more and more hostile. "I mean, he is still mine, right?"

"Of course, Jacob!" I sighed, getting annoyed. "But, our son has schoolwork to do and he needs to focus."

"Whatever!" He shouted as he walked away. I threw my coffee cup away and made my way to my car and made my way across town to my mothers house. I smiled when I saw my brother's car in the driveway since I hadn't seen him in forever. I made my way inside, and was shocked when Brady came running towards me.

"Mom!" He called as he hugged me tightly. "Uncle Jasper and Aunt Alice are here!"

"I saw, monkey." I laughed as I ruffled his hair. He pulled me into the room where my brother and his wife were sitting. "Hey!"

"Hi, Bells!" Jasper said as he hugged me tightly.

"Can I tell her?" Brady begged, his eyes pleading to Alice.

"Sure, go ahead kid." She smiled.

"Aunt Alice is going to have a baby!" He squealed, and my eyes widened in excitement. They'd been trying for two years and just couldn't seem to get pregnant. I screamed as Alice and I jumped up and down in excitement. I hugged Jasper tightly, and I swear I felt a tear hit my shoulder as we'd let go of each other.

"From the screams I can assume Brady told you the good news?" My mother laughed as she came into the living room from the kitchen. I nodded as I sat down next to Jasper on the couch. "It really is so exciting."

"I know!" I laughed, patting Jasper on the knee. "Did you get any schoolwork done today, kid?"

"Yes," He lied. "No." He sighed.

"Why don't you go start that and we can stay for a little longer?" I baginned. He smiled and stood to go up to the room he used when he slept over. I sighed when I heard the door shutting and leaned back in my seat.

"So, how'd it go?" Jasper asked as he pulled me close to his side.

"The judge granted joint custody." I sighed.

"What?" Alice asked. "Jacob isn't a father!"

"I know!" I agreed. "But, the judge seemed to think differently. I know how important it is to have a father in your life...but Jacob is a pal...not a father." I sighed. Our father walked out on my mom when Jasper was four, and I was only two years old. It destroyed my mother and she only just married when Brady was a year old.

"Maybe, when he realizes how much it takes to be both, he'll get better." My mother said. "Maybe he just thinks because your there, you'll do all the bad cop stuff."

"That's exactly what he thinks, mom," Jasper sighed. "Jacob has never been resposible. I mean, if he was...he would have used a fucking condom." He said, and I felt sick. Jasper had always hated Jacob for getting me pregnant, but it was just as much my fault as it was his. It takes two to have a baby.

"That isn't the point." I said, trying to push aside the hurt. "The point is...Jacob isn't ready to be a single dad."

"Are you ready to be a single mom?" My mother asked. And, honestly...I was scared to death. I wasn't a which or anything and Brady and I had a lot of fun when we were together, but I knew that if he was having a bad day and I was left to scold him...Jacob would come and make him laugh.

"Yeah," I answered honestly. I was ready...but as I said. I was scarred. "He's my son, mom."

"I know, but that doesn't make it any less scary." Brady came down after only twenty minutes of doing homework, claiming that he'd finished. But, since we'd finished talking about court today, I didn't see any reason for him to go back up and do more. We could do that when we got home. My mom finished dinner up, and the five of us crowded around the dinner today.

"You guys know that I heard you...right?" Brady asked and I nearly choked on my wine. "Dad got joint custody."

"Wow," I sighed, trying to figure out how to talk to him about this. "Yeah, buddy. He did."

"Cool." He smiled, going back to eating his corn. I sighed in relief and decided to bring it up again when Jacob was around and we weren't in my mothers house. "Do you wanna boy or a girl? Because, I wanna boy cousin. I wanna teach him how to play baseball and how to swim. Oh! And how to talk to girls...you know. When I'm older."

"We'll do our best, Brady." Jasper laughed as my mom handed out some ice creme.

"Can I have some, mom?" He begged. I knew he'd already had more sweets today than I allowed him in a week, but I nodded and laughed when he dug right in. He was Jacob's son alright. We finished up and since I knew he barely got anything done, it was time for us to head home. I packed up his school things while him and Jasper wrestled in the living room.

"If you need anything, I'm here." My mom told me as she handed me a tub of leftovers. "Always."

"I know, mom." I smiled. "Thanks."

"That's my grandson. He's going to have the best life he can."

"I know, but...I hate that he has to go through this." I sighed. "I feel bad...I know how hard it is without a dad."

"Well, if Jacob is as good a man he claims to be, that little boy will never be without his father." She pointed out. "Even if he doesn't live in the same house as you do."

"You're right." I smiled hugging her. "I'll see you later." I said as I went to tear him away from Jasper. "Go say bye to Nana." I said and he ran into the kitchen. No matter what was going on with Jacob and I and no matter how much he hated the two of us, he'd always have my mother. For that, I was grateful. I turned towards Jasper and gave him another big hug.

"Don't be a stranger." I laughed. "You two call anytime. I know how rough the first few months can be."

"I'll take you up on that, Bells." Alice smiled, giving me a hug. "And, if you ever need me to watch him..."

"I know, I'll call." I laughed as my mother and Brady came back inside. We gave one final goodbye and then headed out to the car. "You buckled, kid?"

"Yep!" He called as I started the car. When we got home, we finished his homework, he got showered and he was actually in bed on time. I sat with him while he read for a half hour, just like every night and said goodnight to him.

Once he was asleep, I cleaned up around the house and finished editing and article that was due tomorrow. After graduating from Seattle U, I needed a job where I could work from home and Jasper found me a great job at the Seattle Post. It was a simple editing job, and I could work from home...it was perfect. And, as time went on, I worked my way up to right below the executive editor of the paper.

Finally, at eleven, I crawled under the covers, and found myself feeling for Jacob's warm body next to mine. Even though it was what was right, it was still hard going to sleep at night without him. I missed his warmth, and the comfort of knowing her was there at night. After a half an hour of tossing and turning, I finally fell asleep.

_"I just wanted to do this different." He sighed. "Smoother." He whispered. "But...now I'm out of time."_

_"I thought you understood." I sighed, shaking my head. We'd been talking about this for months, and he'd finally agreed to signing the divorce papers. And, now he was going to try and talk me out of it again. It was me who asked for the divorce, but I thought he'd wanted it too. _

_"I don't buy it!" He argued, and I just grew more annoyed._

_"What don't you buy?" I asked, trying to stay calm. "That's how I feel."_

_"I'm gonna fight for you." He insisted, and I felt terrible. We'd been in the same rut for months, and he didn't wanna do anything about it. And now, I was trying to get both of us to move on, and suddenly he wanted to be the worlds greatest husband again._

_"Then you won't have to fight for very long."_

_"You're rushing into it because you're afraid you'll change your mind!" He argued._

_"No, I'm not!" I insisted. I shrugged, and then, his lips were on mine. I didn't want to fight him on it, but I didn't want this. I pushed him away and he gave me the worlds most hurt look. "Jacob, this isn't working...I'm sorry."_

I woke up in a sweat that night. I hated thinking about the day I handed him the papers, and the day he reluctantly signed them. I thought we were on the same page, and maybe we were. But, the minute I handed him the papers...the realization dawned on him that I didn't want him anymore. And the realization hit that he wanted me there. But, it was too late. I didn't want him that way anymore.

* * *

"Mom!" I heard Brady yell. "Mom! Get up!" I pried my eyes open and looked at the clock. It was nearly time to get Brady on the bus and he hadn't eaten anything less.

"Shit!" I muttered under my my breath when I realized I'd slept through my alarm and bolted out of bed. I grabbed my robe and ran downstairs, desperately trying to find something for him to eat. I settled on giving him a bag of Honey Nut Cheerios and one of his juice boxes for his lunch.

"What about lunch?" He asked as I handed him his breakfast. I sighed and rushed upstairs, digging around in my purse for some money so he could just buy. Thankfully, I was able to get him to the bus stop on time and wouldn't have to drive him. I waved to him as the bus drove away and sighed in relief. Since I'd finished editing everything I had to, I had the day off.

I took a quick shower and through on some jeans before grabbing my keys. I jumped into the car and went to pick up some food at a nearby diner. I called Alice, wanting to hang out with her today and she gladly accepted my offer.

"So, how do you think Brady is going to take this?" Alice asked as we looked through the racks at Macy's.

"I...wish I could say." I sighed. It was tricky. There were days he acted as if nothing was wrong, and there were days he'd throw a fit on me for asking to turn the TV down. I knew it was hard on him, Jacob hadn't been living with us for a while now, and he got the picture loud and clear. His parents were no longer together.

"Just give it time, Bells." Alice smiled. "It was hard when my mom left, but I eventually came to terms with it and moved on. Plus, Jacob is going to be in his life still, he won't be fatherless."

"I guess," I whispered. Alice was right. Jacob was moving somewhere in the district, he'd still see Brady and Brady would still have his father. "I just wish this didn't have to happen."

"I know,"

"I mean, Jacob and I loved each other so much when we first started seeing each other. And then, when Brady was born...that love seemed to grow." I told her. "I've told you this before, but we didn't get married right away because I was afraid we wouldn't make it once Brady was born."

"Bella, I know you loved him...but Jacob just wasn't...the one." She sighed.

"Easy for you to say." I laughed. "You and my brother have been inseprable since you met each other."

"He's the one." She shrugged. "He's out there, Bells. Just waiting to meet you."

"Yeah, well it's going to be hard to find him with Brady around." I laughed. I loved my son, but it was going to be difficult to date anyone knew. Not many guys wanted to date a girl with a kid.

"Shut up." She laughed. "You're smart, pretty, kind. You're going to find him in a snap."

"Wanna bet?" I asked as we brought the clothes to the check-out. Alice was right, my guy was out there. I just had to find him.


	2. Your Voice

**Chapter Two: Your Voice**

* * *

**Edward's POV**

"Rosalie! Come on!" I groaned, pounding on the bathroom door. She'd been in there forever an our reservations were in ten minutes. I sighed, and turned the knob, finding it unlocked. I walked inside and stopped dead in my tracks. Rosalie was holding something I didn't think we'd be seeing for another few years.

Rosalie and I met freshman year of high school and fell in love almost immediately. Once we'd graduated high school, I asked her to marry me and thankfully, she said yes. We married six months ago in her large backyard, and had been really living our happily ever after. No one was very happy we'd decided to get married so young. Especially her mother who married her father right out of college. They continued to tell us we'd regret it and would end up divorced by the time we were thirty.

But, Rosalie and I were happy and nothing was going to change that. She was my entire world, and she always would be. There were times where we even questioned how our life would turn out, but once I saw her in her wedding dress, all my worries melted away. Rosalie was mine. She was the first girl I ever loved and she would be the last. We meant what we said when we said 'Until death do us part.'

"Rosalie?" I asked, making her jump. She turned and hid the stick behind her back, but it was too late. "What...are you pregnant?" I asked as she relaxed and set the pregnancy test on the counter.

"Yes," She whispered, almost too scarred to speak. "I've taken like five of these and each one is positive." I stood there in shock for a moment, and I could see her face drop, looking upset and disappointed.

"Rosalie!" I squealed happily and walked over and hugged her tightly. We weren't ready to have a baby, we were both in school and were barely making enough money to support the two of us. But, knowing we were going to have a baby together, made me too excited to care about all those things.

"You're...you're happy?" She asked once I'd set her back down. "We...we aren't ready for this."

"I know," I sighed. "But, Rosalie. We've always talked about having kids, and the timing is bad but...it's happening."

"Yeah...and we can barely afford to feed ourselves...let alone a baby." She cried, falling into my chest. I tightly wrapped my arms around her, kissing the top of her head just wanting her to calm down.

"Baby, we can do this." I whispered. "I'm going to be here, and so are my parents. But...if you want to put the baby up for adoption...I'll understand."

"No," She cried immediately. "We're keeping it...but...I'm so scarred, Edward."

"It's going to work itself out." I assured her. "It always does."

"Edward," She cried, falling back into my arms. I picked her up and carried her into our bedroom, and gently set her down. I covered her up and went to the kitchen and poured her a glass of water. It wasn't until I had the glass in my hands that I realized that I was shaking, and having a tough time breathing. We weren't ready. It was simple.

Her parents have always hated me, and this wouldn't help the situation. Her father was never around in her life to begin with and he sure as hell wouldn't be around for this baby. And her mother...her mother was too wrapped up in her life to realize she had a daughter who needed her. It was because of her parents that we met in the first place. She was standing behind the bleachers crying when her parents didn't show up for her art show. I comforted her and the story is history.

Once I could feel my legs again, I picked the glass of water back up and carried it back into our room. She was sitting up, flitting her thumbs when I walked in.

"Here, drink." I whispered, handing her the glass of water. "It's only water, Rosa." I laughed after she gave the glass a weary look.

"Oh," She giggled, taking a big sip. "Can we tell your parents first?" She asked. My parents weren't thrilled when we told them we were engaged right out of high school, but they were a lot more supportive than hers were. "I like them better."

"We can tell whoever you want when you want." I told her.

"Okay," She sighed. "I made an appointment for tomorrow to give us a clear cut answer."

"What time?" I asked since I had a class early.

"It's after your class...but like right after so I was thinking I'd drop you off at the school and then pick you up afterwards since campus is closer to the office than the apartment."

"Sounds good," I smiled, kissing the top of her head. "You wanna order pizza and watch a movie?"

"Sounds perfect." She smiled. We spent the rest of the night in our bed, watching You've Got Mail and Jack Ass. It was nights like these I loved the best with Rosalie. In PJ's and just laying with her. The two of us were pretty popular in high school and we were always running from party to party on weekends and we rarely had time to ourselves.

The doctors appointment confirmed her pregnancy and the doctor predicted she was about two and a half months along. Her due date was April 18 and I shed a tear when I saw our son or daughters small body on the screen. We decided to tell my parents right away since they would be more supportive and made the three and a half hour drive from campus back home.

We pulled into the driveway and I could see how nervous she was about going inside. It was a Wednesday so my parents would know something was up when we walked inside. I reached up and gripped her hand tightly. She lifted her head as I gave her an assuring nod, making her smile.

"You ready?" I asked.

"No," She answered honestly. "But, I never will be."

"Now or never." I smiled, getting out of the car and walking around to open her door. I punched in the code to the garage door, and it went up. We walked inside and was hit with the delicious smell of my mothers chocolate chip cookies. "Hello?" I called through the house as I hang up our jackets.

"Edward?" My mother asked from the kitchen, and she came rushing out, apron around her waist. "What are you two doing here?"

"Ummm..." I stuttered, I hadn't thought of what to say yet. "Just felt like it."

"Don't you have classes?" She asked as she led us into the kitchen.

"We have early classes Wednesday." I answered.

"Oh," She smiled. We didn't get home that often anymore. "You two get something to eat? Emmett should be home soon and god knows he's going to be hungry." Emmett was my younger brother...but age had nothing to do with his size. He was twice the size as I was in bulk and height and he was literally always hungry.

"Sure," Rosalie smiled. My mother made us our usual turkey sandwiches with pretzels just as Emmett came into the kitchen.

"Hi, mom." He greeted, kissing her on the cheek. Emmett was a big, bad football player...but he was one hundred percent a mama's boy. "What are you two doing here?" He asked once he realized Rosalie and I.

"Just...cause." I shrugged and looked over at Rosalie who looked like she was going to be sick.

"Oh, god!" She whispered as she stood up and bolted to the bathroom. Emmett and my mom looked at me and I only shrugged. A few minutes later I heard the toilet flushing and the sink running. She came out and threw the sandwich in the trash and sat down, trying to act like nothing happened. "Sorry, that turkey just...didn't mix with me."

"If I didn't know better I'd say you were pregnant." Emmett laughed. "We just learned about this in health actually."

"Emmett, hush." My mother sighed. "Rosalie isn't pregnant...they aren't ready for a baby." She said and I saw the tears welling up in Rosalie's eyes. I reached over and grabbed her hands, squeezing them tightly. "Rosalie?"

"I'm fine." She lied as I gave her a napkin.

"Mom, when's dad gonna be home?"

"Soon," She sighed as she began prepping the salad. Soon, my father was home and there was no more stalling what we had to tell them. Once everyone had their food and was eating, Rosalie nodded at me. It was time to tell them why we were really here.

"Mom?" I asked softly.

"What, Edward?" She asked.

"Rosalie and I...we have something we need to tell you." I sighed and that grabbed both of their attention.

"Oh...Edward." My mother sighed and I could see the tears in her eyes. "You didn't get her pregnant, did you?"

"Yes," I whispered. "She's two months along." The room grew silent and the only thing I could hear was Rosalie's breathing. I squeezed her hand and pleaded that my mother and father would stay calm.

"Well," My father whispered standing up and walking into the kitchen. I looked at my mother whose eyes were tightly shut.

"We know it's bad timing but..."

"No buts." My mother finally said. "We know you two are scarred and we aren't going to do anything to add to your stress."

"But..."

"The timing could be better, but a baby is a gift no matter what. That baby is your son or daughter and our grandchild. Our first." My mother smiled, coming around the table and placing a hand on our shoulders. "We're going to be here for you two, promise."

"Thanks, mom." I whispered, squeezing my eyes shut. She was right, it was bad timing but this baby was ours. Our first child.

"Your father and I were married for almost four years by the time we had you...and that didn't make us any more ready or any less scarred." She told us. "Parenting is a scary thing and finding out about your first is the scariest thing I'd ever faced. Honestly, your father and I didn't think we'd ever be ready."

"But, we were." He said, coming back into the dining room with a notepad in his hands. "And, having you and your brother have been the best thing that's ever happened to us." He smiled, nudging Emmett's side. He handed Rosalie the pad of paper and hugged her tightly. "Those are all of the numbers you're going to need. The best OB/GYN. Hospital. Everything."

"Thanks." She whispered.

"Now, we have most of Edward and Emmett's baby things and we didn't know the sex of either so most of the clothes are unisex." My mother said. "We kept the crib and changing table as well. You two are welcome to have those things."

"Thanks, mom."

"What's your due date?" MY dad asked as we sat back down.

"April 18." She said, and I saw her smile for the first time since I'd walked into the bathroom yesterday.

"Sounds good." My dad smiled. "You have your prenatal's?"

"I have the prescription." She said.

"I'll have that filled for you tonight." He told her. "It'll be cheaper."

"Thanks, dad." She smiled. Although I wasn't close with her parents and I did not call them mom and dad...she loved my parents like her own. She nearly burst into tears when they told her to call them mom and dad instead of Carlisle and Esme. I was so blessed to have the parents I had. "Do you wanna see pictures?"

"Yes!" My mother squealed. Rosalie grabbed her purse and handed the sonegrams to Emmett and he gawked at them for ten minutes before my mother took them from her. I glanced over at him and he only nodded with a smile, but I knew what he was saying. My brother was my best friend, and nothing needed to be said to communicate with him.

"It's a girl." My father predicted.

"Dad," I laughed. "Its the size of a cashew...thats what the doctor said."

"I know." He smirked. "I still say it's a girl."

"Okay, I'll give you ten bucks if your right." I laughed.

"Deal." He smiled, shaking my hand.

Rosalie and I spent the rest of the day with them and we didn't get home until way after midnight. Thankfully, we both had afternoon classes and we could just enjoy our morning together. I slept better that night, knowing my parents were going to be there to help us. But, when I woke up my stomach was in nots. We were telling her parents at dinner the next night with my family there as well. They weren't going to take the news as well.

* * *

The last six months had been the most hectic. As predicted, Rosalie's parents did not take the news well and unlike my parents, they didn't offer any help. My parents did what they could, but we were three hours away at school...there was only so much they could do. But, Rosalie and I made it work. Since my dad knew our OB/GYN, we were able to work around both of our class schedules and I never missed an appointment.

It was the day of Rosalie's baby shower, and she begged me to be there. She didn't care if there were boys there after her father agreed to come. Eight months pregnant didn't seem to phase her...she was still one hundred percent gorgeous.

"You look nice." I complimented when I came out of the bathroom, trying to tie my tie.

"Thanks," She mumbled. "I look like a house." She complained. Even though it was completely wrong, Rosalie thought she was huge and wouldn't listen to anyone to say otherwise.

"No, you look pregnant." I laughed, kissing the top of her head. "And you're beautiful."

"You have to say that." She muttered, pulling away and swatting my hands away. She had the tie tied in thirty seconds and laughed when I looked down, baffled of how easily she was able to do that. "But, thanks."

"I dont' have to say anything." I said, bringing her in a kissing her. "We should go, mom said we should get there a little earlier than she told us."

"Okay," She sighed, grabbing her bag as I grabbed the keys. "I can't believe my dad agreed to come."

"It's what he should do,"

"Doesn't mean it's what he wants." She whispered. I sighed and decided to drop the subject. She would never think she was good enough for him, and although it broke my heart...I couldn't push her. She had to figure it out for herself that he loved her. We arrived at the small resterraunt that the shower was being held out, and a smile broke onto her face immediately.

It was perfect, and for the first time since finding out she was pregnant...couldn't stop smiling. There were so many people there to help us and support us and we got plenty of supplies...especially diapers. Katie, Emmett's girlfriend, planned that everyone would bring a package of diapers along with their gift...or just diapers. It was wonderful when we realized we'd have enough for at least four months, maybe more.

But, the perfection of the party didn't hide the fact that her father never showed up. I saw her, every five minutes glancing over at the door, and trying to shake off the rejection she was feeling. By the time people had begun leaving, she was on the verge of crying. I could feel my anger growing inside of me, and it took a lot of effort not to explode in front of her.

"He didn't show." She cried as I pulled her into a back hallway. "He didn't come." She sobbed, falling into my chest. I wrapped my arms around her tightly. No matter what I said, she would feel unloved and rejected...I just gripper her tighter.

"Rosalie, why don't you go back with my folks to their hotel." I said as we packed up the car. "I gotta go take care of some stuff."

"What stuff?" She asked, wiping her face.

"Some things for when the baby comes." I lied. "For school."

"Okay," She yawned. I put her in the backseat next to Emmett and got in my car. After graduating high school, her parents decided to move back to Seattle so he was close. I knew exactly where he was and all I wanted to do was punch him in the face. I parked the car and rushed inside, trying to contain my anger. I stormed into the lobby, ignoring the secretary and barged into what looked like a meeting.

"Mr. Hale!" I screamed, slamming the door shut. "You didn't come!"

"Edward..." He started, trying to stay calm. But, I was done. I had been walking on eggshells with this guy since I met Rosalie and I was finished. She was my wife, the most important person in my life and I was refusing to let her get hurt again by him.

"You have a daughter." I whispered, trying to calm down. "Who sincerely thinks...that you don't like her. I mean...she's trying to communicate...she's speaking. But, why aren't you LISTENING? Why isn't the most important thing? Just for one night!"

"Who's this display for?" He asked, and I just rolled my eyes. Display? He acted as if I had rehersed this and had been planning this.

"It's for you." I sighed, knowing that no matter what I did...I wasn't getting through to him. He would never understand how he made Rosalie feel.

"I have provided her world." He pointed out.

"That doesn't mean you can just shatter it whenever you feel like it!" I shouted before finally realizing...this was going nowhere. I threw the the picture frame she'd given to my parents on the table...the one with the ultrsound and a place for the picture when he or she was born...and left. My phone began ringing as I was pressing th button to the elevator, and was relieved when I saw it was my mom.

"Edward!" She gasped. "Rosalie's in labor!"

"What?" I asked. "She isn't due for another month!"

"The baby doesn't care." She sighed. "We're taking her to the hospital. Meet us there." She said and hung up. I would have panicked, but there was no time. I had to get to the hospital for my son or daughter to be born. Once I got there, Rosalie already had a room and to my surprise, was already four centimenters.

"Already?" I asked.

"Yeah...I kinda started having contractions at the shower." She shrugged. "I thought they'd pass...then my water broke."

"Oh, well...good." I tried to laugh. I held her hand through every contraction, but as the time passed, the grip she had on my hand weakened. By the time it was time to push, she was barely hanging on at all. "Rosalie," I cried when they told us it was time.

"Okay, Rosalie. You're going to push now." Her doctor instructed. I saw her face squint in pain, but in five seconds, her head was already back on the pillow.

"Rosa?" I asked, pushing a hair out of her face. "Babe, come on."

"Caroline." She whispered.

"What?"

"If it's a girl, I like Caroline." She whispered. "After my grandma,"

"Whatever you want, but you have to push, babe." I squeezed her hand, but her grip loosened completely and her eyes closed shut. "Rosalie?" I cried as the doctors pushed me out of the room. I stood with my family, waiting for the doctor to come out and tell me my wife was okay.

But that happy moment never came. The doctor came outside, his scrubs still one...the look of depsair on his face.

"Please." I begged.

"I'm sorry." He whispered, and then. The world stood still.


	3. Time to Say It

**Chapter Three: Time to Say It**

* * *

**Bella's POV**

"You all packed, kid?" I asked as I walked into Brady's room. Jacob had finally gotten an apartment and it was Brady's first week with his dad. I was happy they'd finally get to spend some real time together, but I wasn't ready to let my boy go and sleep away from me for a week. But, he needed his dad and I wasn't going to deny him that.

"Yep!" He squealed. He'd been counting down for this week for a month now, and I was glad to see him so happy. "But, have you seen my U2 t-shirt?"

"I put it in the wash this morning, monkey." I sighed. Jacob had given him that t-shirt when he spilled something on himself when we were out to eat a few weeks ago. It was an ugly, oversized shirt but the kid couldn't seem to part from it...even though he'd never even heard the band play something before.

"Mom!" He wined. "What am I supposed to do now?"

"Wear something else, Brady." I sighed. "Now, get your stuff together. We're going to be late."

"Fine." He huffed, pushing me out of his room and slamming the door. It was days like this where I wished Jacob and I weren't divorced because I had a feeling these days wouldn't happen. I made sure he had all of his books in his backpack and zipped it up as he was coming down the stairs. He was still acting like a brat as we packed up the car with his things, but as a nine year old, he got over it quickly.

"You think dad will cook?" He asked as we pulled onto his street.

"I don't know." I sighed. Jacob couldn't cook which was another reason he wasn't ready to have Brady by himself. All they'd eat would be pizza and take out and I didn't want him eating that all the time. "I hope so."

"Well, I hope he doesn't." Brady laughed. "I love your cooking, mom. But, pizza wins every time."

"Yes, it does." I smiled as I pulled into a parking space. I grabbed his duffle bag from the trunk and we made our way to the lobby. Jacob buzzed us in and we got into the elevator. I grabbed his duffle and followed him down the hallway and shook my head as he began banging on the door. Jacob opened it and scooped him up into his arms. He invited me in and I shuddered at the apartment.

It was a decent size and it was in a good neighborhood...but Jacob wasn't the cleanest of people. He had boxes everywhere still, take out cartons everywhere and it just...smelled like a guys apartment. I put Brady's bag in the room Jacob had made for him and went back into the living room.

"Looks great, Jake." I laughed as he threw one of the couch pillows at me.

"Hey, I'll get better at cleaning." He defended. "Or I'll get someone to help me."

"I think you need all the help you can get." I laughed. "Okay, he has a spelling test Tuesday and he's having trouble with this weeks words."

"Okay,"

"So, I need you to make him study for it." I whispered. "Sit down with him, making him write out the words. If he's still having trouble when he goes to bed, work with him in the morning while he's eating breakfast."

"Got it." He smiled.

"I'm serious, Jacob." I said sternly. "Brady has to do his schoolwork when he's here. It isn't play time."

"I know," He sighed. "I'll be good."

"And if you need to...yell at him." I reminded him. "It's time to be a father...not a pal."

"Fine." He sighed.

"Mom!" Brady called as he ran out of his room. "Can you stay for lunch?" He asked, and I saw Jacob shake his head no. I needed to get used to the fact that this was Jake's time with Brady...I had to respect that.

"No, kid." I whispered. "I'm gonna go meet up with Aunt Alice. We're going to go baby shopping! Maybe some other time."

"Okay." He sighed. I knew he was trying to put us in the same room together so we'd magically get back together. He was cute for trying, but it wouldn't happen. Jacob and I were a hundred percent over. "I love you, mom."

"Love you too, monkey." I smiled, bending down to hug him. "If you need anything...I'm a phone call away."

"I know." He smiled as I stood up and grabbed my purse. I drove to Alice and Jasper's place to pick her up. I used the key they gave me and let myself in...but I wished I hadn't. They were having another fight and this time...it was about what brand of cheese Jasper ate. It was more of Alice's hormones acting crazy and yelling at Jasper rather than a fight, but I still wished I wasn't here to hear it.

"Hey!" I called as I walked into the kitchen. Alice stopped screaming immediately and looked as if she was about to burst into tears. She was already in her second trimester. Her belly was rounding and she was even more emotional than ever. Jasper was going crazy about it...he felt like he was walking on eggshells around her and just wanted things to calm down.

"I'm so sorry." She cried as she ran out of the room, slamming the bathroom door.

"Ali?" Jasper called after her, but decided not to chase after her. "I don't know what to do, Bells. One minute she's yelling at me for buying the wrong cheese...the next she's crying because...god only knows!"

"Her hormones are all over the place, Jazz." I pointed out as we sat down.

"I know, but so were yours." He told me. "You weren't nearly this bad."

"In front of you I wasn't." I smiled. "But, I was a mess around Jake. You should ask him how I threw a pot at his head...and ended up crying about it two seconds later. I'd nearly just gave him a concussion, but he was hugging me telling me it would be alright."

"Did it last the entire pregnancy?"

"I learned to control it a little bit after throwing the pot at him."

"Hey," I heard Alice whisper as she stood at the doorway to the kitchen. "I'm sorry about yelling at you."

"It's okay, babe." Jasper smiled as he stood up and hugged her tightly. "Don't worry about it."

"So, shopping?" I asked, trying to take her mind off of what happened. "You two decided you aren't going to know the sex of the baby, right?"

"Yeah, we were both surprises...we want to keep the tradition going." Alice smiled.

"Mom didn't know what you were?" I asked.

"Nope, she knew for you because she told me it was hell waiting nine months and having to worry about picking a boy and girl name she liked." He laughed. "You weren't as special."

"Yeah, but I was the girl she always wanted." I said, sticking out my tongue. "So, nursery color?"

"A light green." Jasper told me as he walked us out to my car. Alice and I set out on the baby shopping adventure and knowing her...it would last all day. She waited until we were diaper bag shopping to bring up Brady being dropped off at Jake's.

"It wasn't as bad as I thought." I told her. "I mean, I don't want him there all week just cause I want him here with me. But, Jake seemed up to the..challenge to be a single dad...and not just being his pal."

"Okay, but I hope you aren't eating your words."

"We shall find out next Sunday." I smiled as I showed her a bag. She shook her head no again and it was time to keep looking. By the time we were done, we had significanly gone over the budget Jasper gave us, and Alice was feeling guilty for it. But, when we jumped into my car, she knew it was worth it and they now had basically everything they needed for the baby to come.

"You wanna stay for dinner?" Jasper asked after Alice had told him how much she'd gone over budget. I was about to tell them I had to get home for Brady, but realized that he wasn't going to be there when I got home.

"Sure," I said. I had nearly forgotten Brady was with Jacob all week and that I wouldn't be having dinner with him all week. Jasper made a delicious dinner and sooner than I liked, it was time for me to go home. I walked into a quiet, peaceful house for the first time in nine years. The silence was almost eerie and I jumped in the shower and got into bed a lot earlier than normal.

The one nice thing about Brady being gone with Jacob, was I got my morning back. I had long given up on sleeping in and my body literally couldn't do it anymore, but I was able to sit down with my coffee and read my paper. Really ready my paper, not just skim the headlines and pray that I'd get to read it. After my paper was finished, I got ready and decided to go into the paper today to do some work.

Even though I usually worked from home, I had an office at the paper and I wasn't some loan worker. I was happy to be back in the office and see the coworkers I hadn't seen in over two months.

"So, how're you doing?" Angela, my best friend at work, asked me in the break room.

"I miss Brady." I whispered. "It's Jake's week, so he's going to be there all week."

"And...you miss Jake?" She asked. She was always rooting for us to stay together and was just as heartbroken as Brady was when I told her about the divorce. "Bella, he was your husband."

"I know," I whispered. "I do love him, Ang. I'm just not in love with him anymore. I've been telling you this from day one."

"I know, but...if Ben and I ever got divorced...I wouldn't be holding it together as well as you."

"I have to keep it together." I shrugged. "I have a nine year old to think of and I can't be having melt downs."

"Well, if you ever need company while Brady's with Jake...you're welcome to come have dinner with Ben and I."

"Thanks, but I think I'm going to take advantage of the peace." I smiled as I walked back to my office. I finished up for the day and headed to the grocery store. Brady ate well, and he wasn't picky...but I was able to have a nice, grown up dinner for the first time in years. I made my spicy meatballs with lingunie and poured myself a glass of wine.

But, even though the meal was delicious and I was able to have a glass of wine...I hated it. There was no one to laugh with, there was no one telling me how gym was that day. For the first time in nine years...I felt alone and I hated the feeling. I cleaned up and changed into my PJ's and settled on the couch with _Casablanca_ playing on the TV. Halfway through, there was a knock on the door and I paused the movie to answer it.

"Hey," I said, surprised to see him. "Mike, what are you doing here?"

"Jasper told me Brady was with Jake this week." He said, holding up a bottle of wine. "Thought you'd want some company."

"Thanks," I smiled, letting him inside. Mike moved in next door to mine and Jasper's house when Jasper was in forth grade. We all became best friends instantly and he was the best man in Jaspers wedding. Mike was the shoulder I cried on when I knew that it was over for Jacob and I and he was the one who held my hand when filing for divorce. He was my best friend.

"So, watcha watching?" He asked as we popped open the bottle of wine and sat down on the couch.

"_Casablanca_." I answered with a grin. It was my favorite movie growing up and he was always forced to watch it when we had movie nights. "But, I guess we can change it."

"Nah, its fine." He said, sipping his wine. I didn't miss the look he gave me as he told me to press play. He admitted after we'd graduated that he'd had a huge crush on me since the seventh grade. After I got pregnant, he didn't talk to me until I called him when I went into labor. Jake was in class and his phone wasn't on and Mike was the only one I could think of who I wanted to be there with me.

"How are you holding up?" He asked, pretending to be concerned and sad that I was no longer with Jake.

"Fine," I told him honestly. "I miss having him here and I miss Brady already, but I'm fine."

"You...you miss having him here?"

"Yeah," I shrugged. "He's been apart of my life for ten years, Mike. He was my husband and Brady's father."

"I know."

"I don't wanna be married to him anymore...but I do miss him." I told him and he dropped the subject. We fell asleep halfway through the second movie and I was sad to see him go in the morning. Once again, I was in my house...alone. Thankfully, when I got out of the shower, my son had sent me a message telling me he'd call when he got home from school.

As I was walking home from work, I saw the music store where Jacob and I bought Brady his keyboard. It was a Christmas gift last year, and he'd kept his promise in learning how to play and keep up with it. His music teacher suggested buying him a new book with a higher difficulty level and I thought it was as good a time as ever. I pushed open the door and was welcomed by one of the employees.

"Can I help you find something?" An employee asked as I browsed the stand of music.

"My son's nine, and started playing the piano last year." I explained as I turned around to look at him. "His teacher suggested a higher level difficulty book for him to play."

"Well, what book does he have now?" He asked.

"He has all of the Nancy Faber and Randall Faber books." I told him.

"Those are what I started with." He smiled at me. "Is he getting tired of the simplicity?"

"I think so." I sighed.

"Does he like Disney movies?" He asked, reaching and picking up a book on the shelf. "Because this book is perfect."

"He does," I smiled as I looked through the book. It had songs from his favorite Disney movies and some of mine as well. "I think this is perfect."

"Great, do you need anything else, miss?"

"Nope, this is all."

"Well, come on." He said, walking towards the counter. "I'm Edward," He smiled as I rang the book under the scanner.

"Bella," I said, my voice cracking slightly. Since I married Jake so young, I hadn't looked at another man since Brady was born. But, now I was able to realize how good looking some guys are. This guy...this Edward...was extremely good looking and I felt like a dumb school girl who had a crush as I watched him.

"How old is your son?" He asked, handing me the bag.

"He'll be ten in August." I smiled, trying to get the blush to go away. "Well, thanks for the help."

"No problem." He said as he waved to me. Just as I was walking out of the store, my phone rang with the Brady's schools number showing up. Growing worried, I pressed the send button and answered it.

"Hello?" I asked, bracing myself for bad news.

"Mrs. Black?" She asked, and I realized I needed to change my info in Brady's school. "This is the nurse from Thurgood Elementary."

"Yeah?"

"Your son, Brady fell off of the jungle gym today in gym class, and it looks like he broke his arm." She told me. "I've put ice on it and called 911."

"Oh my god," I gasped as I started my car. "What hospital are they gonna take him to?"

"Harborview." She told me and I hung up on her, just focusing on getting to my son. By the time I got to the hospital, he was already in x-rays and all I could do was wait. After an agonizing hour, a doctor came out and called my name.

"How is he?" I asked.

"He fell on his arm pretty hard," He explained. "It's broken in two places. I can show you the x-rays if you'd like."

"No, that's okay." I sighed. "Where is he?"

"He's having a cast put on." He explained as he opened a door to an examine room. Brady was sitting on the table with his arm held out, a nurse wrapping it in cotton. My heart broke when I saw his puffy cheeks, and every time he flinched from pain.

"Brady?" I asked, lightly stroking his back.

"Mommy." He cried, leaning back into my chest. My heart broke a little more when he called me that. He hadn't called me that since he was five and claimed it was too babyish to call me that. He only called me that when he was really sick.

"I'm here, monkey." I whispered, kissing his head. They wrapped his arm up in a blue cast and they gave me a pain med prescription. I took care of the bill and Brady and I headed out. "Where's your dad, Brady?"

"They couldn't reach him." He shrugged. "I think his phone's off."

"Wow," I sighed, digging my phone out of my purse. I opened Brady's car door and helped him buckle his seat belt as Jake's phone went straight to voicemail. "Hey, Jake. Brady had an accident in school today. He fell off the jungle gym and broke his arm in two places. I'm taking him back to the house, and you can pick him up there."

"Can I get some lunch?" He asked after I hang up the phone. I looked at the clock and realized that it was past his usual lunch time and gave in and bought him Wendy's. He ate it quickly and then passed out on the couch from the pain meds. Jake had yet to call me back and I was getting annoyed...his son was in a cast and he had no clue. This is why you don't turn your phone off.

After another hour and a half, my phone finally rang with Jake's number showing.

"Hey," I whispered, going upstairs into my room so I wouldn't wake up Brady.

"How is he?" He asked, his voice panicked. "Sorry, I've been in meetings all day."

"It's okay." I sighed even though it wasn't. "He's okay. He has a cast on and it covers his entire arm."

"What? Why?"

"He broke his humerus and his radius so the cast had to go all the way up his arm." I explained. "They gave him some pain meds and he's sleeping them off right now."

"Okay, I'm on my way back to the office now and then I'm gonna head over to your place to pick him up."

"Sounds good." I sighed and hung up. I called the school and told them Brady wouldn't be in tomorrow and asked what his homework was so he could try to get it done. By the time I went downstairs, he was sitting up watching cartoons. "Morning sleepy head."

"Hi, mom." He sighed, wiping his eyes. I could tell these meds were going to be putting him to sleep constantly.

"How do you feel?"

"My arms starting to hurt again." He wined.

"Sorry, kid. You can't take anything else for another hour or so." I told him, glancing at the clock. "Your dads on his way over to pick you up."

"I wanna stay with you." He said,laying down in my lap. "Dad's never taken care of me when I was hurt or sick."

"Yes he has."

"No. He's sat by my side and told me jokes." He corrected. "He's never taken care of me."

"Well, we'll talk when your dad gets here." I said, changing the channel to Nick so he could watch Spongebob...something that was a treat for him. I heard Jake's car pull into the driveway and it was time to face the music...even though I didn't want to.


	4. Never Thought

**Chapter Four: Never Thought**

* * *

**Edward's POV**

My body was completely numb. This was supposed to be the second happiest day of my life...next to the day I married Rosalie. But, it turned into the day I feared most...losing my Rosalie. I knew she didn't look good...I knew she was tired. I should have said something to the doctors. I should have done something.

"Do you want to meet her?" I heard a voice say, and it was then that I realized I was sitting on the cold, hospital floor.

"Who?" I asked as Emmett helped me stand up.

"Your daughter." The doctor said.

"My daughter?" I asked, looking around the room, trying to figure out was going on. Suddenly...nothing made sense anymore. It was all blurry and I couldn't think straight. "Daughter?"

"Yes, you had a baby girl." the doctor told me, trying to force a smile. "She's perfectly healthy."

"No, I don't wanna meet her." I snipped and ran out of the waiting room. I heard my mother call after me, but I couldn't stop. That little baby was the best thing in my life right now...she was everything to me. But, all I could think about was if she wasn't here...Rosalie would be. I was a terrible father...I was blaming that little baby for killing Rosalie. It wasn't her fault...it wasn't anyones fault. But, I was angry and just needed someone to blame.

I found myself standing on the sidewalk in the front of the hospital, and I fell to the curb. I buried my head in my knees, and just...cried. I hadn't cried from being sad since I was thirteen at my grandfathers funeral and now I remembered why. I hated crying...completely hated it. But, when it started...I couldn't stop. I let all of the anger, sadness, regret just fall with every tear I shed.

"She needs you, Edward." I heard my father say as he sat down next to me. "That little baby needs you."

"I can't dad." I cried. "I can't...I can't be a dad. Not without Rose."

"You have to be." He pointed out. "You're all that little girl has...she needs you right now."

"What if...what if I can't love her enough?" I asked. "I feel like...all I'm going to think about is how she took Rosalie away from me."

"She didn't, Edward. You know that." My father whispered. "Besides, you'll always have apart of Rosalie in your daughter. She's beautiful."

"You...you saw her?" I asked, wiping my face with a tissue he gave me.

"And held her." He smiled. "The nurses told us it would be good for her to be held by people who loved her while you were taking everything in."

"Does she look like her?" I asked. "Like Rosalie."

"Yes," He smiled. "She has a small patch of blonde hair on her small head."

"She's gone, dad." I cried, falling into his hug. I loved my daughter and I always would. But, right now...I didn't have Rosalie and I wasn't sure how I was going to handle this. After a while, my father dragged me back inside and down the hall to the nursery. I looked inside and saw a nurse tending to the crib that was labeled _'**Baby Girl Masen'**_

"Her name is Caroline." I pointed out. "Caroline Rose."

* * *

**Nine Years Later**

"Caroline!" I called up the stairs. "Come on! You're going to be late!"

"Daddy, I'm coming!" She huffed as she barreled down the stairs. "How do I look?" She asked, spinning around. She was everything that Rosalie was. She was tall, thin, gorgeous with beautiful blue eyes. The only thing she seemed to get from me was the brown hair, but other than that...she was Rosalie.

"Beautiful!" I laughed, handing her her backpack. "Here's the money for pictures, please don't lose it." I begged since last year I had to close the store to give her the money after she'd lost it.

"I won't." She sighed, putting the envelope in her folder. The last nine years had been hard. I was a junior in college with a newborn baby and Rosalie was gone. I'd barely graduated on time, but thankfully my mother stayed with me during the week until Caroline was old enough and I had enough money to pay a nanny. But, Caroline was a sweetheart and I couldn't have asked for a better daughter.

I still missed Rosalie every day. She was the love of my life, Caroline's mother. I would never stop loving her or missing her. But, as Caroline grew older...I grew lonelier. I missed having a grown up with me all the time...I missed the love of a woman. The touch, the kiss. I missed everything about having a girl in my life. Rosalie and I were together for almost six years before she died.

"Can I bring this picture to mom too?" She asked as she buckled her seat belt.

"Of course." I smiled. I talked about Rosalie often around Caroline. I needed her to know just how great her mother was, and I wanted her to feel as close to Rosalie as she could. She slept with the stuffed animal I'd won for her the night I proposed, she had our wedding picture next to her bed, and always traveled with a picture of Rosalie in her backpack.

Every year I brought Caroline to her gravesite and we put her school picture and a recent picture of the two of us by the stone. Even though Rosalie could always see us, Caroline wanted to make sure Rose knew what she looked like. I pulled out of the parking spot and headed in the direction of her school.

"Daddy?" She asked as we sat at a red light.

"What, Caroline?"

"Can I go to public school?" She asked. I wanted her to be as safe as possible and I put her in a private school when she was in first grade. I thought it owuld be better for her, and I told myself when she wanted to go to public school, I'd think about it.

"We'll talk about this at dinner." I told her. "Right now, it's time to enjoy your jeans day and get an amazing picture taken." I smiled as I pulled into a parking space in the schools parking lot.

"Promise we'll talk about it?"

"Pinky." I smiled, holding out my pinky for her. She laughed as we linked pinky's and got out of the car. I walked her to the door as usual and hugged her before she went inside.

"Don't lose that money!" I called as she walked inside. I watched making sure she made it inside before heading back home to open the store up. The apartment Rosalie and I had was a college one, and once I was graduated I had to find another one. With the help of my parents, I was able to buy the store front, and convert the upstairs into an apartment. It was small, but Caroline and I didn't need much.

I cleaned up around the store before Felix, my assistant manager walked in.

"Hey, Edward." He greeted as he clocked in. "How're you?"

"Good, how was vacation?" I asked since he and his wife took a trip to Europe for their ten year anniversary.

"Amazing." He gushed. "London, Paris, Rome...they are not overrated." He laughed. "You and Caroline should take a trip out of the country...she'd love it."

"Maybe one day." I smiled, trying to shrug off the pain in my chest. Rosalie always dreamed of going to Italy for our honeymoon, but it was too expensive for us. We ended up flying to Hawaii for a week, and although she had a good time, I knew she wanted to be in Rome or Venice. I promised myself once we had the money, I would take her to Italy as a surprise.

"But, it was good to get home." He said, changing the subject. "Jane and I missed the girls."

"Yeah, I hate being away from Caroline for two days." I laughed. "I don't think I could leave her for a week."

"As I said...take her with you." He shrugged as Alex, the broke college kid, walked inside. We opened and hour later and as usual, it was a slow morning. Not too many people needed to buy a guitar at nine a.m. But, the store did really well and business was booming lately. I guess being one of the only music stores nearby helps the situation.

After losing Rosalie, I decided to change majors. I was premed, already applying to medical schools. But, when the realization dawned on me that I wouldn't be able to save everyone, I dropped and became a business major. My mom and dad constantly questioned me what I would do with a business degree, and until the last semester of my senior year, I had no clue. I had a one year old at home, and had no clue what I wanted to do.

But, as I was driving to pick Caroline up from a friends house, I saw the local music store had a 'CLOSING FOR GOOD' sign and then I knew. Music was how I won Rosalie over when she wasn't sure she wanted to be in a relationship. Music was my salvation after losing Rosalie and I knew I wanted to own a music store. I talked to the owner, got a reasonable price and talked to my folks.

It took a month to convince them to help me, but they finally did and I was thrilled. 'MASEN'S MUSIC' opened six months after I graduated and although it hadn't always been easy, it was worth it. Especially when I converted the empty upstairs into an apartment. I could work and I didn't have to pay for a babysitter. I used a baby monitor upstairs while Caroline was home and if there was any real danger, I was two seconds away.

Life was as good as it could be for Caroline and I. We had food in our fridge, clothes on our back, and she was lucky enough to have a college fund. The only thing that was missing was my Rosalie and that killed me every single day.

Things began to pick up, and I was taken back by a beautiful brunette who walked into the store. She was gorgeous and I couldn't breathe when I looked at her. I hadn't felt this way since I saw Rosalie for the first time, and it felt good to think another girl was pretty. I saw her looking at the piano books and decided to go over and help her.

"Can I help you find something?" I asked as I came up from behind her.

"My son's nine, and started playing the piano last year." She told me. "His teacher suggested a higher level difficulty book for him to play."

"Well, what book does he have now?" I asked.

"He has all of the Nancy Faber and Randall Faber books." She told me.

"Those are what I started with." I told her, remembering my father bringing them to me when I first started. "Is he getting tired of the simplicity?"

"I think so."

"Does he like Disney movies?" I asked, reaching and picking up a book on the shelf. "Because this book is perfect."

"He does," She told me as she flipped through the book. "I think this is perfect."

"Great, do you need anything else, miss?"

"Nope, this is all."

"Well, come on." I told her, leading her over to the counter.. "I'm Edward," I told her, even though I didn't know why. I normally didn't introduce myself to the customers unless they asked me to or did it first.

"Bella," She said, her voice slightly cracking. I smiled at her before slipping the book into the bag.

"How old is your son?" I asked, handing her the bag, still not understanding why I was asking her this. I never got into the customers business. This was so unlike me and I could see Felix snickering from where he was hanging a new guitar on the wall.

"He'll be ten in August." She smiled, her cheeks still rosy with a blush. "Well, thanks for the help."

"No problem." I smiled as I watched her walk out. I tried to shake the feeling off, but I couldn't and I didn't even hear Alex walk up behind me.

"You okay, Mr. Masen?" He asked, making me jump.

"Yeah," I shrugged, giving him a list of the things I wanted him to clean up around the store. At three, I left the store in the hands of Felix so I could pick Caroline up from school. She was standing in her usual spot with her group of friends and ran over to me as usual.

"Daddy!" She called, saying goodbye to her friends and running over to me. She ran right into my arms and I picked her up as usual. I would have made her a daddy's girl either way, but our bond is stronger than I could have ever imagined. I don't even think about the hour that I wasn't with her after she was born. "Can I do my schoolwork downstairs today?"

"Caroline," I warned. She only got to come downstairs and hang around in the store after her work was finished. Felix had known her since she was five and they always goofed off together. I knew if she was downstairs, she wouldn't get any work down. "You know the rules."

"I know, but rules are meant to be broken." She laughed as she got in the car.

"And who told you that?"

"Uncle Emmett." She laughed. My brother was very close to her niece, and it was like having two dads when he was around. In fact, sometimes I felt like she liked him more than me.

"Well, he's wrong." I said, rolling my eyes. "As usual. You get your homework done and then you can com downstairs."

"Fine," She sighed. I wasn't one to tell her no, so when I did, she gave me the silent treatment for as long as she could. I sighed as I pulled out of the parking space, bracing myself for a night of silence. We got back to the store and she ran upstairs, slamming the door making me cringe. I finished up and went upstairs to start making dinner.

The two of us ate in silence for a while, and it was times like these when I missed Rosalie most. When I was nine, I didn't have these little mood swings and such little things didn't set me off. I had no clue in how to raise a girl and although I had been doing a pretty good job, I was still clueless. My mother helped when she could, but it wasn't enough. Caroline needed her mother, and I needed Rosalie. Nothing would change that.

"So, I've been thinking about what you said this morning." I told her, and her head snapped up, smiling at me. "And, if your grandparents say it's okay, I think it would be good for you to go to public school."

"Really?" She screamed, throwing her fork down and running to hug me.

"Yes, but only if Grandma and Pap say it's okay." I told her. When I told my parents I was thinking of enrolling Caroline in private school, they jumped at the chance to pay for it. When I told them, I'd already worked everything out with the bank, but they didn't want me to have to worry about another bill. They told me they wanted to do what they could since they weren't around as much as they wanted to be.

"Okay! Deal!" She agreed, hugging me even tighter. "Can I call them now?" She asked and I looked at my watch, and figured they were just finishing up with dinner.

"Sure." I smiled. "Here," I said, handing her my phone, she dialed and put it on speaker so we could both talk to them about it.

"Hello?" My father's voice answered and Caroline nearly screamed hello back. "Hey sweetie! Esme, Caroline's on the phone!"

"Hi, baby!" My mother gushed. The three of them talked about Caroline's grades and how her art was coming along. Then, the minute they asked about school, Caroline jumped at the chance to ask them.

"I wanna go to public school!" Caroline snapped. "I mean, I've been wanting to go to public school and daddy said that you guys had to say it was okay if I went to public school."

"I don't know, Caroline." My father said, but only sarcastically. "I mean, don't you think having to pick out an outfit everyday will be tiring?"

"Well, I mean..."

"Oh sweetheart...he's only kidding." My mother laughed before Caroline screamed with happiness. After another few minutes of them talking, I told her to go finish her homework.

"Thanks for this, guys." I said as I took them off speaker. "I mean, I think it might be good for her. When I started her in private school, I thought it'd be best for her. But, now that she's asking for public school...I don't know...I think it's good for her to be able to pick what she wants."

"Oh, honey. It's no problem." My mother told me. "We told you we'd pay for it until you didn't need it anymore. She doesn't want to go there anymore so you don't need it."

"Thanks again." I said, glancing at the clock. "Look, I gotta go close down the store. Talk to you guys later?"

"Sure, bye son." My dad said, hanging up the phone. I checked on Caroline before going down and letting Felix go home and locked up. I went back upstairs and my daughter was already in the shower, getting ready for bed. While she was in the shower, I climbed out onto the fire escape and just watch the sun go down. It was this time of day that I missed Rosalie most.

During the day while Caroline was in school, I was in the store with Felix and other employees. When I was home, Caroline normally was too. But, times when she wasn't with me...especially when she was getting ready for bed, made me feel alone and missing Rosalie. Caroline normally caught me in the act and I was quick to turn it off, but I could never stop it from turning on.

"Daddy?" Caroline asked through the window. "I'm ready for bed."

"You brush your teeth?" I asked, climbing back inside and closing the window.

"Yeah, will you read to me tonight?" She asked, handing me a book. She normally read to herself when I said goodnight to her, but there were still nights when she wanted me to read. I smiled as I picked her up and carried her to her small bedroom next to mine. I laid her down in bed and crawled in next to her.

"Where's Papa going with the ax?" said Fern to her mother asthey were setting the table for breakfast.

"Out to the hoghouse," replied Mrs. Arable. "Some pigs were bornlast night.""I don't see why he needs an ax," continued Fern, who was onlyeight.

I began to read her the beginning of Charlotte's Web, Rosalie's favorite book growing up. It had to be the tenth time we've read it together, but she was hooked on it. It was just another part of Rosalie to keep with her, and we didn't even finish the first chapter before she fell asleep. I carefully got out of the bed, kissed her goodnight, and closed the door.

I finished cleaning up around the apartment and sat down on the couch, turning on a rerun of _Friends_. I sighed when I realized it was the episode Chandler and Monica got engaged, and nearly teared up watching it. I didn't have much money for a ring, but the proposal was everything she wanted it to be. Her favorite movie was _The Notebook_, and I took her out in a little rowboat and proposed. She said it was the most romantic thing she'd ever seen.

As the episode ended, I realized how empty this apartment was when Caroline was asleep. The older Caroline got, the more I realized how much I wanted someone else in my life to love.


	5. Be That Simple

**Chapter Five: Be That Simple**

* * *

**Bella's POV**

"It's my week to have him!" Jake argued as Brady watched TV downstairs. "You can't just come and take him from me!"

"I'm not trying to take him from you." I told him, trying to stay calm. "Brady asked to stay here with me. For just like two nights until the pain begins to ware off."

"No."

"Jake, this is what your son is asking for." I reminded him. "Do you know how to take care of him while he's sick? Hurt?"

"Yes."

"No, you don't." I argued. "Whenever he would get sick, you would sit by his side and make him laugh."

"I still took care of him." He wasn't going to let this go. He was going to argue until he got his way, and he wasn't going to win this. "He's my son, Bella!"

"I know!" I yelled. "Would you quit reminding me! He wants to stay here, Jake."

"It's my week!" He reminded me yet again. "Are you going to take him away every time he gets sick or hurt."

"Look, he asked to stay here with me." I told him sternly. "Now, you can stay here with him and sleep in the guest room if you want to, but he's staying in this house with me for a few days."

This was one of the things I was dreading when Jake won custody. He didn't know how to care for Brady on a normal basis, let alone when he was sick. Brady acted all tough and like he didn't need me, but when he was sick...he was my little boy again. All he wanted to do was cuddle and be given soup. Right now, thats what he needed and Jake wasn't going to give that to him if Brady went to Jake's.

"I wanna stay here, Dad." I heard Brady say from the doorway. I turned around and he looked like he was in a lot of pain. "Just sleep on the couch."

"Okay, bud." Jake sighed. He now knew that Brady really didn't want to leave and he couldn't say no to him now. "I'm gonna go get some of my stuff."

"Okay," Brady sighed. "Can we get pizza for dinner?"

"Brady, you had Wendy's for lunch." I warned. "But, maybe we can get it tomorrow night. I was thinking we could have some soup and grilled cheese."

"With extra cheese?"

"Yes, with extra cheese." I smiled. Jake slammed the front door shut, making Brady jump. He looked like a hurt puppy, but I told him to just ignore it. He shrugged it off and sat down and we watched cartoons until Jake got back and I started making dinner. As I was cleaning up, the doorbell rang and Brady jumped from his spot on the couch.

"Nana!" He screeched. I had a feeling she was going to show up and I bet anything that she had some sort of sweet with her for him to eat. I finished cleaning up the kitchen and walked into the living room where Brady was chowing down on a brownie my mother brought.

"Hey, mom." I greeted, grabbing a brownie for myself. "Thanks for the extra chocolate."

"Hey, my grandson broke his arm." She said. "It's my right to bring him something sweet to eat."

"I can't deny that." I laughed as Jake came down the stairs. I saw my mother stiffen as he looked up and gave her a week smile. My mother never really liked Jake, even before I got pregnant. But then when we told her we decided to keep the baby, she rarely talked to him. I hated the fact that my mother hated the guy I loved and wanted to marry, but she wasn't going to stop me from being with me.

As the years went on, she began hating him more and more. She told me she knew Jake was not a father to Brady. The more she said it to me, the more I saw how right she was.

"Hello, Jacob." She said, not making eye contact with him.

"Hi, Renee. How're you doing?" He asked, sitting in a chair far away from her.

"Pretty good." She said, turning her attention back to Brady. Jake gave a sigh and decided to go back upstairs and watch TV in my room until my mother left. My mother spent the next hour and a half coddling Brady and feeding him sweets he didn't need before he passed out from the medicine I gave him.

"Call me if you need anything." She told me, once again.

"I will mother." I laughed, giving her a hug. I checked on Brady one last time before going upstairs to find Jake. My door was a crack open and as I got closer, I was able to make out what he was watching.

"I Jacob, take thee Isabella to be my lofley wedded wife." I heard his voice say. I then realized he was watching our wedding video and I felt my heart break. He was holding on so hard to what was and the past and I didn't want that for him. I wanted him to move on and find someone who really loved him.

"I now pronounce you, husband and wife." The minister said happily. "You may kiss your bride." He said and I heard everyone erupt into cheers. I pushed open the door, but he didn't turn the video off like I thought he would.

"You looked beautiful that day." He whispered, not looking at me and keeping his eyes on the screen. I looked over and saw Jake holding Brady after our first kiss. I smiled back at the memory. Brady was only a year old, and he was so small compared to Jacob.

"You looked pretty good yourself." I said, trying to lighten the situation.

"Did those mean anything to you?" He asked, pausing the video. "The vows."

"Of course they did, Jake."

"Then what happened to 'until death do us part?' What happened to that vow, Bella?" He asked, standing up and walking over to me.

"Jake, please." I pleaded. "Don't start."

"I...I just wanna know why." He whispered.

"Where is this coming from?" I asked. "I didn't think you were that happy either when I asked for the divorce."

"Just because we weren't one hundred percent happy didn't mean I stopped loving you, Bells." He said. "We were in a bit of a rut, that didn't mean we had to end our marriage." He told me. Jake was clinging so hard to this divorce.

"We had plenty of time to work on our marriage, Jake." I reminded him. "I tried and you know that. So don't you dare tell me we didn't try. Because I did! But it takes two people to save a marriage."

"Yeah, and only one to end it!" He spat. This wasn't fair. I asked him multiple times to plan a date night for us, and when things seemed really hopeless, I asked if he would go to couples therapy with me. But, he declined the therapy and date nights only lasted two weeks. "You asked for this."

"And you drove me to it." I reminded him, and I saw the pain in his eyes as I said it. "Brady fell asleep on the couch, can you please go get him and carry him to his room?"

"Yeah," He mumbled, walking out of the room. I found the extra sheets out of the closet and brought them downstairs while he carried Brady upstairs. I pulled the bed out and made it for him. He came downstairs and without a word, went into the bathroom to change. I knew he wasn't going to wanna talk anymore tonight so I gave up and went up to my room.

I sat in bed, trying to concentrate on my book but when I realized it was hopeless, turned off the light and went to sleep.

"Mom?" I heard Brady whispered. I turned over and saw him standing over me, the light already on. "Mom, wake up."

"What's up, kid?" I asked.

"My arm hurts." He wined. "Can I sleep in here with you?" He asked and I scooted over immediately. Since he was nine, being with your mom was uncool. He was a mama's boy on the inside and always would be, but it was nice to see this side of him. There weren't many nights now where we slept in the same bed together and cuddled like when he was younger.

My alarm woke us both up, but since he wasn't going to school, I pressed snooze and we slept for just a little longer. By the time we woke up, Jake was already at work and it was nearly lunch. I fixed him waffles and called the school and got his assignments. I figured two days out would be enough and when he went home tomorrow, Jake would be able to drop him off on Thursday.

Jake was home earlier than normal and he and Brady played video games together...as best he could with a broken arm...while I cooked dinner. Jake asked Brady questioned and joked around with him, but gave me the cold shoulder all night. I wrapped Brady's arm in plastic wrap so he could get a shower, and Jake still said nothing to me.

This was one of his problems. Even when we were married, if we got into a fight, he gave me the silent treatment for at least a day before we worked everything out. This wasn't a good habit of his and made taking care of our son difficult at times. When the fights were really bad, he used our son as a messanger.

Once Brady was out of the shower, I helped him get dressed, but it was Jacob he asked for when it was time to put him in bed. Once he was in bed, the two of us spent the rest of the night apart. Jake was gone by the time I woke up the next morning and I could tell Brady was hurt when he came downstairs and Jake wasn't there to greet him.

"He probably had an early job today, bud." I suggested, but that didn't make anything better. Jake worked for his father. He owned an auto shop, and once Jake graduated from college, his father made him his partner. Jacob worked mostly in the garage and his dad was in the office, but it worked out well. Jacob was able to oversee the work being done by their workers. Since he was a partner, he also made a decent living. When Brady was little, things were tight, but managable.

Brady and I spent the day together, and by the time Jacob was back, he told me he was ready to go back with him tonight. I didn't miss the smug look on Jake's face when Brady told me this, but I ignored it since I knew Brady's pain would subside and h'd be back with him. I showed Jacob the proper way to wrap his arm in plastic wrap for his showers and gave him the time frame for the medicine the hospital had given to us.

"Okay, you having everything you want?" I asked as I walked them to the door.

"Yeah, besides...I'm only there til Sunday." He shrugged as I handed him his stuffed monkey...the thing my mother got for him the day he was born.

"Okay." I smiled, ruffling his hair. "If you need anything, call. Even if it's four in the morning. Call."

"I will, mom." He smiled, leaning in and hugging my waist tightly. Jake and I exchanged glances before he tugged Brady along. I watched as they drove away, and walked inside to an empty home...again.

Three and a half days might not seem long, but to me they were the longest three days of my life. I welcomed Brady home with a giant hug, and he was feeling better because all he did was fight me on it.

"Mom?" He asked as we were eating dinner.

"Yeah, buddy?"

"The nurse said I was out of Asprin and they can't give me anything unless you bring it." He explained. "Can you bring some with you tomorrow?"

"Sure, sweetie." I smiled. "Didn't you dad give them any?"

"Yeah, but not enough." He shrugged. "I got through Thursday and Friday though."

"Okay," I whispered, rolling my eyes. He should have just given them the entire bottle of Asprin, not just a couple in a bag. I got Brady ready for bed, and by the time that was done, it was nearly ten o'clock. I smiled in contentment as I turned off my bedroom light to go to sleep. My son was back in his bed, and he was mine...at least for a week.

* * *

Getting Brady up and ready the next morning was a struggle. He was taking them less, but he was still taking the higher dosage pain meds the hospital gave us, which made it hard to wake him up. Jake had warned me about it, but I didn't truly get what he meant until Brady missed the bus. We piled into the car and dropped him off in front of his building before parking the car.

It was an easy exchange with the nurse and I was thankfully able to get out of there easily and quickly. As I was heading to my car, I felt something small bump into me.

"Caroline," I heard a man huff. I looked up and recognized the man from the music store.

"Sorry," the little girl whispered, clutching her book bag.

"Don't worry about it." I smiled, looking up to her father. "You're the guy from the music store...right?"

"Yeah, it's nice to see you." He said. "How's your son like the book?"

"He broke his arm literally right after I left the store." I laughed. "I haven't given it to him yet."

"Bummer," He laughed.

"Daddy, come on. WE gotta go." The girl complained.

"Are you new here, sweetie?" I asked.

"Yep, fresh out of private school." Edward laughed. "Can you tell us where the principal's office is?" He asked, looking around the campus. For being an elementary school, it was big. There were three buildings and even I got confused still.

"Yeah, it's in that building over there." I said, pointing to the smallest building. "I know, it's big."

"Yeah, what's with the multi-building school?" He asked.

"There's a lot of kids." I shrugged. "K-3 is in that building, then 4-5 are in that one. I also think they just wanna keep the bigger kids away from the smaller ones."

"Seems complicated." He laughed.

"It is." I agreed. "What grade are you in, sweetie?"

"Third." She huffed. "Daddy!" She wined.

"My son's in the third grade too." I told her. "I'll let him know about you when he gets home. Tell him to look out for you."

"Thanks." She smiled. "DADDY!" She wined.

"Okay, it's time for me to get going." He laughed. "Well, thanks for the help."

"No problem." I watched as they walked into the building where the office was and found my car again. Since I was no longer worrying about Brady, I was able to get some editing done and actually finished an article. Once my work was done, I decided to see what Jasper was up to. I decided to surprise him at work and I packed us a lunch to eat there.

I jumped in the car and found my way to his office. The parking lot was pretty deserted so I assumed there weren't many patients here.

"Hey," He said as he opened the door. "What are you doing here?" He asked, hugging me tightly.

"I finished my work early and wanted to see how things were." I told him, walking into his office. I smiled when I saw the sonagram framed and sitting on his desk. Jake never understood how important those were. "You two really aren't going to find out?"

"Nope," He laughed. "But, I'm sure Ali will find a way to ruin the surprise for both of us...and blame me for it."

"Hey, give her some credit." I sighed. "She might not tell you."

"Yeah, when has Alice ever been able to keep a secret?" He asked. I thought about it, and actually came up with nothing. Its never that she meant to ruin it, she just got so excited about it and ends up blurting it out. "I'll give her the benefit of the doubt though."

"Oh come on, it's not like you'd be super upset if she told you." I said. "You wanna girl so badly you can taste it."

"It would be nice to have a girl." He smiled. "So, how's Brady doing?"

"Better. His arm isn't hurting as much anymore and he's able to just get by with taking Advil."

"That's good. How was Jake being in the house?"

"He acted like a child the entire time." I sighed, rolling my eyes. "But, he's back home now, so I don't have to deal with him anymore."

"Good, you shouldn't have to." He sighed. "You and Brady would be better off without him."

"Jazz, no we wouldn't." I whispered. "You know that. Growing up without a dad...it was terrible. Brady needs his dad."

"But his dad needs to act his age. Step up." He yelled. "You two deserve so much better!"

"And someday we'll get better than Jake." I told him. "But, for now I have Jake. And I need him and so does my son."

We finished up lunch and he had a patient coming in and it was nearly time to pick Brady up from school. I went in and talked to the nurse to see if he'd been down there and met him in front of his locker. I saw him turn pink as he came out of the class with his friends. He pretended I wasn't there and I made sure to keep a distance away from him.

"Hey, monkey. I gotta go get something from the secretary." I said as we walked out of his building. "Come on."

"Fine," He sighed, trudging behind me. I sighed the papers saying I wasn't going to sue the school for Brady falling and when we walked out of the office, I noticed Edward's daughter sitting on a bench. "She's new here." Brady whispered.

"Caroline?" I asked as she looked up. "Hi, sweetie."

"Hi," She whispered.

"Where's your dad?" I asked and I heard Brady sigh next to me.

"Something's going on at the store." She shrugged. "He's running late." She told me and I figured it was pointless for her to stay here and wait for him.

"Caroline, do you have his number with you?" I asked.

"Yeah," She said, unzipping her bag and taking out a piece of paper, but as she did so a picture fell out onto the floor. I bent down and saw a beautiful blonde woman smiling at the camera. I assumed she was her mother. I handed it back to her and she gently put it back in her bag. I dialed the number and walked away from the kids.

"Hello?" Edward's voice asked as he answered the phone.

"Hi, Edward. It's Bella."

"Hi, Bella." He sighed. "How'd you get my number?"

"Oh, I'm with Caroline." I told him. "I heard your running late?"

"There was supposed to be an order delivered hours ago and I'm the only one who can sign for it." He sighed, sounding annoyed. "I told her to just sit tight."

"Well, I'd be happy to take her back to my place with my son." I offered.

"Mom, no." Brady wined.

"Really?" He asked.

"Yeah, her and Brady are in the same class." I told him, ignoring Brady's protest. "I can help her with her homework and give them their snack."

"That would...that would actually be perfect." He sighed. "Thank you so much."

"No problem." I said. I gave him all my information and said goodbye, turning back to the kids. "Caroline, you're going to come home with Brady and I until your dad can come pick you up."

"Really?" she asked, standing up. "Thank you!"

"Anytime, sweetie." I smiled as she pulled her back pack on and we began walking out the door.

"Mom, she's a...a girl." Brady wined as we walked to the car. "What if my friends come over?"

"Oh, Brady. I'm just watching her so she didn't have to sit in school." I sighed, unlocking the car door. "Get over it."


End file.
